20 Things To Do On A Snow Day

by Gigi Ross on December 13, 2013

This post is brought to you by Campbell’s Condensed Soup. All opinions are my own.

Is it snowing where you are? Cold? Blustery? Windy?

I think back to my childhood, growing up in Chicago. We had plenty of snow days there (Blizzard of 78, anyone?). I have vivid memories of sitting at the kitchen table early on school mornings in the winter. We’d listen to WGN Radio and I’d will, pray, and hope with all my might that school would be closed that day. There was nothing better than staying at home and watching the snow fall (okay, blow).

While it isn’t snowing here in lovely San Diego, we do get our fair share of windy, rainy, blustery days this time of year. Just this past weekend, we had a huge rain. My whole family hunkered down and didn’t leave the house (I know, you probably think we’re wusses, right? I paid my dues in childhood).

So I got to thinking: what are all the really great ways you can while away a snow day? Here are some ideas:

20 Things To Do On A Snow Day

Have a board game marathon! Everybody in the family gets to choose a game and play them in order from youngest to oldest.

Bake cookies. Nothing keeps the house warm and cozy like the smell of freshly baked cookies.

Play hide and seek. Don’t ever let your kids run around the house? A snow day’s a good day for a hall pass on that.

Skype or Google Hangout with family far away. Say hi to Grandma!

Try Minute To Win It. Google some easy Minute to Win It games and have kids compete.

Do charades. Make easy ones for the littlest kids or create teams.

Build a pillow mountain. We take all of the cushions off our couches and create a huge pile in the center of our family room and let the kids jump, bounce, flop and bury themselves.

Do an indoor scavenger hunt. Make a quick list of items your kids can find around the house, print them up, and let them go searching!

Tackle a Pinterest craft. It’s been on your board for months. Go do it with the kids!

Make silly videos. Let the kids have free reign on your iPhone or video camera.

Create a fort. Better yet, do it in front of the tv and your kids can watch their movie while they’re in their hideout.

Have a tea party. Gather up everybody’s stuffed animals and have a party. Then, have your kids hold the end of a blanket and let them bounce their animals on the blanket like a trampoline (put the tea and cookies away first)

Play the burrito game. Wrap up your kid like a mummy (or a burrito) in a blanket. Two adults grab each end of the blanket and swing the kid back and forth. They love this. For real.

Plan a progressive party. Each person plans an activity in a different room of the house. It can be coloring, a board game, a dance party, whatever. Rotate around to the various party stations.

Read a story aloud. My kids are old enough that we can take turns reading chapters. {Check out my Best Books for Boys and Great Books for Girls for book ideas!}

Play Pictionary. You don’t need the real game – just grab some paper and markers!

Watch a movie under toasty blankets. Pop your blankets in the dryer for 10 minutes to get them warm before putting on the movie!

Have a dance party. Keep your blood moving. Let the kids play DJ.

Make a hot cocoa bar: set out different types of hot cocoas and fun mix-ins (kids will dunk anything in hot cocoa)

My mother was born in Chicago and lived there until she was a teenager. When my grandparents moved the family to California, my mom didn’t go back even for a visit for more than forty years. That’s how much she hated the cold and snow.